Beverage cards

[highscar]

Because the soda card is no longer available I’m thinking of a beverage  card.  How many cans of soda would I get for the $100.00 card. What is the price of a can. I know it can be used for other drinks.  

[canadarocks]

Pretty sure they're $2.50 plus tax. 

[highscar]

Thank you. I may be better off to get them from the mini fridge at 4 star half price.   

[kazu]

4 minutes ago, highscar said:

Thank you. I may be better off to get them from the mini fridge at 4 star half price.   

 

 

That works as long as the mini bar gets replenished 😉 

[OVgirl]

Or look at the soda package and see how it prices out for you.

Of course any balance left on a beverage card will be refunded at the end of the cruise.

[Crew News]

6 hours ago, highscar said:

Thank you. I may be better off to get them from the mini fridge at 4 star half price.   

I get my minibar replenished with diet coke and water periodically during a cruise by just asking my Room Steward to make it happen. 

[KirkNC]

6 hours ago, Crew News said:

I get my minibar replenished with diet coke and water periodically during a cruise by just asking my Room Steward to make it happen. 

We do the same.

[highscar]

Thank you all.  I’ll likely go the mini bar route. 

[jkrislc]

Since there's no discount offered on the beverage cards any longer, is there any benefit to purchasing them over gift cards?

 

[RuthC]

3 hours ago, jkrislc said:

Since there's no discount offered on the beverage cards any longer, is there any benefit to purchasing them over gift cards?

 

Some of us think there is. 

When you take long cruises, or, if you have a lot of drinks daily, each drink posts to your account. At the end of the cruise, that's a lot of charges to proof out and verify. 
When you can get them all subtracted from one or two (or three 😁) beverage cards, they show as one or two (or three) charges. Much easier to proof out on that busy last morning. 

[jkrislc]

 

17 hours ago, RuthC said:

Some of us think there is. 

When you take long cruises, or, if you have a lot of drinks daily, each drink posts to your account. At the end of the cruise, that's a lot of charges to proof out and verify. 
When you can get them all subtracted from one or two (or three 😁) beverage cards, they show as one or two (or three) charges. Much easier to proof out on that busy last morning. 

Good points. Thanks for the explanation. I forgot that each drink posts as it's own charge otherwise.

 

I still miss the old cards where they offered a discount, especially the soda cards.

[crystalspin]

On 2/22/2022 at 1:43 PM, jkrislc said:

Since there's no discount offered on the beverage cards any longer, is there any benefit to purchasing them over gift cards?

 

Another possibly is for the third person (my mom) in a stateroom with HIA. She doesn't drink enough to make buying the SBP for her worthwhile, but for her not to feel like she is "racking up the bills" with signature for every cafe au lait etc (I haven't actually researched what can the new beverage card can be applied to!) I see this as a possibility. This might be true for children as well? 

 

Correct me if I'm on the wrong track. Been a while since I cruised!

[kazu]

9 hours ago, crystalspin said:

Another possibly is for the third person (my mom) in a stateroom with HIA. She doesn't drink enough to make buying the SBP for her worthwhile, but for her not to feel like she is "racking up the bills" with signature for every cafe au lait etc (I haven't actually researched what can the new beverage card can be applied to!) I see this as a possibility. This might be true for children as well? 

 

Correct me if I'm on the wrong track. Been a while since I cruised!

 

You are on the right track. 🙂. You can use the beverage card for any drink (and even a bottle of wine) - alcoholic or non alcoholic including coffees 😉 

[recruiter 28]

6 hours ago, kazu said:

 

You are on the right track. 🙂. You can use the beverage card for any drink (and even a bottle of wine) - alcoholic or non alcoholic including coffees 😉 

But not for the bucket of beer. We were told the beverage card couldn't be used on a promotion.  We ended up transferring our beverage card balance to OBC. No more beverage cards for us.

[kazu]

1 minute ago, recruiter 28 said:

But not for the bucket of beer. We were told the beverage card couldn't be used on a promotion.  We ended up transferring our beverage card balance to OBC. No more beverage cards for us.

 

Interesting!  We never ordered the bucket of beer but my friend (who also uses beverage cards) did and had no problem.

I don’t understand what difference if it was a promotion or not would make.  A beverage card is just like a debit card - to be used for beverages.

 

Shaking My Head at this lack of common sense 😳 

[jkrislc]

52 minutes ago, recruiter 28 said:

But not for the bucket of beer. We were told the beverage card couldn't be used on a promotion.  We ended up transferring our beverage card balance to OBC. No more beverage cards for us.

That makes no sense. If the beverage cards were discounted like in the old days, then that would make sense as you're using a discounted card on something that's being discounted. However, that's not the case here. It's basically dollar-for-dollar onboard credit.

[LynnTTT]

On 2/21/2022 at 5:27 PM, highscar said:

Because the soda card is no longer available I’m thinking of a beverage  card.  How many cans of soda would I get for the $100.00 card. What is the price of a can. I know it can be used for other drinks.  

We already have the Signature Beverage Package for a 7 day cruise.  Since the price is only $ more per day to go to the Elite Package (I hopre) I plan to do this by phone . It appears worth it for an upgrade in alcoholic bevereges, but also for much more coffee options.

[crystalspin]

1 hour ago, LynnTTT said:

We already have the Signature Beverage Package for a 7 day cruise.  Since the price is only $ more per day to go to the Elite Package (I hopre) I plan to do this by phone . It appears worth it for an upgrade in alcoholic bevereges, but also for much more coffee options.

Let us know if you are successful. Upgrading to SBP to Elite is a perennial question on this Board. What I have heard is it is sometimes possible, but only in person with a bartender (not server) before anyone in the room has used the SBP for a drink. Note I have never done it so this is really hearsay.

[recruiter 28]

5 hours ago, kazu said:

 

Interesting!  We never ordered the bucket of beer but my friend (who also uses beverage cards) did and had no problem.

I don’t understand what difference if it was a promotion or not would make.  A beverage card is just like a debit card - to be used for beverages.

 

Shaking My Head at this lack of common sense 😳 

We were confused...sent the bucket back untouched and bought one beer. It took 2 days to get the bucket and gratuity off our bill! That's when we exchanged the beverage cards for OBC then purchased the bucket!  Ridiculous policy by HAL.  Not happy with their beverage dept.

[airboss1998]

On 2/22/2022 at 3:43 PM, jkrislc said:

Since there's no discount offered on the beverage cards any longer, is there any benefit to purchasing them over gift cards?

 

 

Could you elaborate on the 'no discount offered on the beverage card'?  I've never bought one, but considering it.  As a lowly 3-star Mariner, according to the Mariner Society webpage, it does say we get a 25% discount on the cards.

 

In my mind, while the drink wouldn't be discounted, I'd get $250 worth of drinks for $187.50.

 

Also, can someone explain the room charge for an $11 drink?  (I tried to look an old statement, but they don't come up on the Navigator app, and I had Have It All on the last two cruises).  Is it $11, plus some tax, plus 18% gratuity?  So an $11 drink is really $14-15?

 

Thanks.

Edited June 20, 2022 by airboss1998

[rochelle_s]

44 minutes ago, airboss1998 said:

 

Could you elaborate on the 'no discount offered on the beverage card'?  I've never bought one, but considering it.  As a lowly 3-star Mariner, according to the Mariner Society webpage, it does say we get a 25% discount on the cards.

 

In my mind, while the drink wouldn't be discounted, I'd get $250 worth of drinks for $187.50.

 

Also, can someone explain the room charge for an $11 drink?  (I tried to look an old statement, but they don't come up on the Navigator app, and I had Have It All on the last two cruises).  Is it $11, plus some tax, plus 18% gratuity?  So an $11 drink is really $14-15?

 

Thanks.

 

I think perhaps you have misread their perks. It states that benerage cards are excluded from the discount. 
 

Mariner Society Benefits

 

Rochelle

 

 

 

Edited June 20, 2022 by rochelle_s

[airboss1998]

2 hours ago, rochelle_s said:

 

I think perhaps you have misread their perks. It states that benerage cards are excluded from the discount. 
 

Mariner Society Benefits

 

Rochelle

 

 

 

You are 100% correct.  I read what I wanted to read and missed that EXCLUDED.  I'd say THANKS, but now I'm dejected.  I knew we got it on the Sommelier package, and just kept dreaming. 

 

Oh well, at least they'll be paid for with gift cards that got me a 10% bonus.... some small item of saving.  

Edited June 21, 2022 by airboss1998

[kazu]

12 hours ago, airboss1998 said:

Also, can someone explain the room charge for an $11 drink?  (I tried to look an old statement, but they don't come up on the Navigator app, and I had Have It All on the last two cruises).  Is it $11, plus some tax, plus 18% gratuity?  So an $11 drink is really $14-15?

 

There’s no tax unless the ship is within waters where the port levies taxes.  (Only applicable in certain spots). In international waters there is not tax.

So, and $11 drink + 18% gratuity - just under $13 for a drink.